Australian Hearing Hub

Junior Science Academy program for children with hearing loss
2019-12-15 00:00 (Australia/Sydney)
BLAST OFF INTO THE WORLD OF STEM at MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY: A Junior Science Academy program especially for children with hearing loss. Join our excitiWant more information? Visit our website: mq.edu.au/about/holidays Click on the Junior Science Academy link, science, technology, engineering and maths programs for Years 3-5 during the school holidays on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 January.

Class topics are Special Effects (Monday 20 January) and Zippy Science (Tuesday 21 January).
Our classes are designed to teach concepts through experiments, art, drama, physical activity, craft & other hands-on activities.
Inclusive program and support provide

Up to 11 free places are available for children who have experienced hearing loss. To apply, contact Dr Chi Lo at chi.lo@mq.edu.au

Want more information? Visit our website: mq.edu.au/about/holidays Click on the Junior Science Academy link.

Perspectives on language in children with hearing loss
2019-12-15 00:00
How do children with hearing loss develop spoken language? As advancements in early identification, devices, fitting and intervention progress, children with hearing loss have better possibilities for functional language use than ever before. Yet challenges remain. This workshop brings together researchers, clinicians, health practitioners and industry representatives from diverse fields to discuss the many perspectives on how children with hearing loss come to be able to acquire and process spoken language.
For more information including the full program and to register: https://goto.mq/cllworkshop202008
Keynote Speakers

Mary-Beth Brinson (Cochlear Ltd)
Teresa Ching (National Acoustic Laboratories)
Aleisha Davis (The Shepherd Centre)
Samantha Harkus (Hearing Australia)
Derek Houston (Ohio State University)
Greg Leigh (Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children)
Christian Lorenzi (Ecole Normale Supérieure)

Organising Committee
Rosanne Abrahamse
Titia Benders
Ben Davies
Katherine Demuth
Mridula Sharma
Elise Tobin
Program Enquiries: Titia.Benders@mq.edu.au
General Enquiries: Elsa.Whelan@mq.edu.au
Workshop Sponsors
ARC Laureate Fellowship FL13010014 (Demuth)
Macquarie University Child Language Lab
Macquarie University Centre for Language Sciences (CLaS)

For more information on the Child Language Lab news and events please visit their website.

NURTURE YOUR CHILD’S COMMUNICATION - New school holiday programs in ...
2019-12-12 00:00
Communication is central to your child’s development. Contact the MQ Health Speech and Hearing Clinic to register your interest for the 2020 programs.
Children of the same age learn in different ways and at different paces. Our school holiday programs are designed to nurture the social and communication skills of children, and cater for a range of different age groups. Children are welcome to attend more than one session, depending on their age.
Children are divided into different age groups across our four streams. If your child doesn’t fall into any of the age groups listed, let us know. We may be able to offer additional sessions for other ages, depending on demand.
Our experienced speech pathologists and our Master of Speech and Language Pathology students provide effective, evidence-based therapy programs that aim to help your child’s social and communication skills.
You do not need to be an existing client to attend these sessions – new clients are welcome.

What
Stream 1
Stream 2
Stream 3
Stream 4

Getting ready for big school: 3-day group
Early language foundations: 3-day group
Boosting language skills: 3-day group
Improving social skills: 2-3 day group

Ages 4-6
Ages 2-5
Ages 5-8
Ages 5-12

Group 1: 15th-17th January
Group 2: 22nd -24th January

20th & 22-23rd April
6th & 8-9th July
28th & 30th September
1st October

News telling, Answering questions, Reading readiness
Vocabulary building, Answering questions, Early grammar
Structuring stories, Advanced vocabulary building
Starting and maintaining conversations, Building friendships

Length
Each session is 1-2 hours in length

Where
MQ Health Speech and Hearing Clinic, Ground Floor, Australian Hearing Hub, 16 University Avenue, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2113

Cost
Fees based on therapy being delivered by students enrolled in the Master of Speech and Language Pathology program
§ $37.50 per day per stream (3-day group)
Save 10% for a sibling in the same session, 20% for a second sibling.

Cancellations
Clients must provide at least 24 hours’ notice to change or cancel an appointment. Failure to do so may incur a cancellation fee, equivalent 90% of the full appointment fee, unless exceptional circumstances have arisen.

CONTACT US:
MQ Health Speech and Hearing Clinic Ground Floor
16 University Avenue
Macquarie University
NSW 2109
T: (02) 9850 2900
mqhealth.org.au/hospital-clinics/ speech-and-hearing-clinic

CLaS Workshop on Language Acquisition in Children with Hearing Loss ...
2019-11-14 00:00

AHH Hackathon – Predicting biological age from MEG
2019-11-04 00:00
Date: Monday 9 – Friday 13 December
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Location: Australian Hearing Hub
PLEASE REGISTER HERE
The hackathon will be organised by the Australian Hearing Hub and the Macquarie University Department of Computing. The goal is to develop collaborations within the Australian Hearing Hub and across the University, generating grant applications and projects leading to innovative technologies in hearing research.
Prizes
1st Prize: $300 for each challenge
2nd Prize: $150 for each challenge
‘People’s Choice’ prize: $100
Challenge – Predicting biological age from MEG
As a consequence of increased average lifespan, age-related cognitive decline has become a pressing public health concern. The early detection of deviations from normal neurocognitive ageing is recognised as being critical the deployment of early intervention.
The link between age and direct measures of brain function is therefore of special practical significance in neuroscientific research – a description of the normative trajectory of functional brain age is the ultimate goal of this challenge.
The challenge will be to develop computational methods that can predict the biological age of an MEG dataset based upon a training dataset. Data will consist of a database of MEG resting-state recordings.
Structure
The hackathon will take place over five days (Monday 9 – Friday13 December).
Day 1: 9.00 am – 11.00 am – Introduction to the challenge, data and form teams
Day 2, 3 & 4: Hacking – For those attending the Australian Hearing Hub there will be a programming expert at hand to provide support, if required. For those working from home or elsewhere, there will be online support throughout the day.
Day 5: am – Hacking
pm – Presentations, judging and prize giving!
Refreshments will be provided
PLEASE REGISTER HERE
Deadline to register is Wednesday 27 November. All applications will be reviewed and final selection and notification will be on or before Monday 2 December
Further details about the structure, format of the data and software will be provided here closer to the event.

Two-day workshop: Binaural Hearing
2019-10-31 00:00
Title: Binaural Workshop
Host: Professor David McAlpine
Date, time, location: Monday 11 November, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Tuesday 12 November, 9:00am to 4:30pm, Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
This two-day workshop brings together leading researchers from around in the globe to discuss the latest findings in the field of binaural and spatial hearing. Topics will range from cellular mechanisms of binaural processing to the representation of auditory space, health, and disease.
Please RSVP emma.brint@mq.edu.au by Thursday 7 November for catering purposes.

Agenda
Monday 11th November – Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
9.00 WELCOME
9.15 Philip Joris, ‘The superior in the lateral olive’
9.45 Michael Pecka, ‘Spatial tuning of neurons in auditory cortex during active localization and navigation’
10.15 Jason Mikiel-Hunter, ‘Pushing the envelope: reassessing envelope sensitivity of low frequency MSO neurons’
10.45 MORNING TEA
11.00 Lindsey Van Yper, ‘Neural representations of interaural time differences in the human cortex – an MEG study’
11.30 Andy Brughera
12.00 Sarah Verhulst, ‘Monaural worries for binaural problems’
12.30 LUNCH
13.15 Torsten Marquardt, ‘Detecting interaural incoherence based on variations in the hemispheric balance’
13.45 Robert Luke, ‘How can knowledge of the binaural system be used to improve multi microphone signal processing systems?’
14.15 William Martens, ‘Tests of two fundamental sensorimotor contingencies underlying hemifield discrimination performance’
14.45 AFTERNOON TEA
15.00 James Fallon, ‘If you deliver it, they will listen. Long-term exposure to ITD cues results in normal ITD sensitivity in a neonatally deafened model’
15.30 Andrew King, ‘Context-dependent reweighting of auditory spatial cues’
16.00 Jorg Buchholz, ‘Everyday Conversational Sentences in Noise (ECO-SiN) test: development and application’
16.30 FINISH

Tuesday 12th November – Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
9.30 David Ryugo, ‘Brain Changes with Hearing Loss: Frequency and Timing’
10.30 MORNING TEA
11.00 Tino Trahiotis, ‘Higher Levels of Stimulus-Independent Additive Internal Noise Are Exhibited by Listeners with “Slight” Hearing Loss’, Authors: Constantine Trahiotis and Leslie R. Bernstein
11.30 Steve Colburn, ‘Binaural waveform properties and processing in multi-source environments’
12.00 Richard Stern, “Comparing Models of Binaural Interaction.”
12.30 LUNCH
13.15 Jan Schnupp, ‘Deaf Rats are Remarkably Good at Hearing Interaural Time Differences
13.45 Chris Stecker, ‘RESTART Theory: how transient auditory responses account for temporal and bandwidth effects on binaural sensitivity’
14.15 Nick Haywood, ‘Temporal weighting of interaural time difference cues’
14.45 AFTERNOON TEA
15.00 Jaime Undurraga, ‘Binaural processing in the human brain and its relation to speech understanding’
15.30 André van Schaik, ‘A Binaural Silicon Cochlea’
16.00 Dan Tollin, ‘The binaural interaction component (BIC) of the auditory brainstem response (ABR) – an electrophysiological biomarker of binaural and spatial hearing hearing’
16.30 FINISH

Two-day workshop: Listen & Learn
2019-10-31 00:00
Title: Listen & Learn Workshop
Host: Professor David McAlpine
Date, time, location: Monday 18 November, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Tuesday 19 November, 9:30am to 4:00pm, Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
This two-day workshop brings together world leaders in cognitive neuroscience to discuss statistical learning, neural adaptation, and auditory scene analysis.
Please RSVP emma.brint@mq.edu.au by Thursday 14 November for catering purposes.

Agenda:
Monday 18 November – Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
9.30 WELCOME
9.45 Maria Chait, ‘How the human brain discovers structure in rapid sound sequences’
10.15 Jonathan Simon, ‘High Frequency Time-Locking in Human Auditory Cortex to Continuous Speech’
10.45 Hamish Innes-Brown, ‘Interaural phase modulation following responses, and possible links to speech understanding in noise’
11.15 MORNING TEA
11.30 Jaishree Jalewa
12.oo Paul Sowman, ‘Development of auditory prediction’
12.30 Pavel Prado, ‘Features of neural entrainment: from adaptation to persistence’
13.00 LUNCH
13.45 Jess Monaghan, ‘Statistical learning in rooms’
14.15 Johannes Dahmen, ‘Circuits for multisensory integration and novelty detection’
14.45 AFTERNOON TEA
15.00 Jan Schnupp, ‘Processing of Auditory Stream Statistics in Rat Auditory Cortex’
15.30 Vani Rajendran
16.00 FINISH

Tuesday 19 November – Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
9.30 Antje Ihlefeld
10.00 Joseph Sollini, ‘The effect of stimulus history on listening in noise: Evidence from a CMR paradigm’
10.30 Andrew King, ‘Contrast adaptation in the auditory system: from neural circuits to perception’
11.00 MORNING TEA
11.30 Heivet Hernandez-Perez, ‘Statistical learning in rooms under transcranial magnetic stimulation’
12.00 Juan Mucarquer Fuentes, ‘Assessing cochlear synaptopathy from an information-theoretic perspective’
12.30 Ryssa Moffat, ‘Exploring metabolic responses to emotional prosody with fNIRS’
13.00 LUNCH
13.45 David McAlpine, ‘Neural adaptation and statistical learning’
14.15 Kerry Walker, ‘Where do complex auditory objects belong on a tonotopic map?’
14.45 AFTERNOON TEA
15.00 Fred Dick, ‘Timing and topography of sustained auditory selective auditory’
15.30 Nicol Harper, ‘Is sensory processing optimized for prediction of future input?’
16.00 FINISH

AHH seminar: Brain Changes with Hearing Loss: Frequency and ...
2019-10-20 00:00
Speaker: Professor David Ryugo
Date: Tuesday 12 November
Time: 9.30am – 11.00am
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
9.30am – 9.35am – Welcome
9.35am – 10.15am – Presentation
10.15am – 10.30am – Q & A
10.30am – 11.00am – Networking & Refreshments
Abstract: Hearing loss is annoying but the symptoms of hearing loss are what is most destructive. These symptoms are (1) impaired speech understanding in noise; (2) emergence of phantom sounds; and (3) distortions of loudness perception. I want to focus on brain changes that appear to affect frequency and timing processing. The data will address the tonotopic organization of auditory nerve input to the cochlear nucleus, changes in descending projections to the medial efferent neurons, and pathology of auditory synapses. Can we develop a sound therapy that “hides” hearing loss from the brain, thereby preventing or at least delaying pathologic brain changes induced by hearing loss?
Bio: Professor David Ryugo grew up in a small college town in California that centered around agriculture. He enjoyed sports, woodworking, hiking and camping, and was drawn to mathematics and science because of his interest in problem solving. David prizes education, loves his work, and considers preservation of the environment mankind’s greatest challenge.
Professor Ryugo uses neurophysiology and neuroanatomy in his studies of the auditory system. He spent 9 years on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and 23 years at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine before retiring as professor emeritus. In 2010, he moved to Sydney to join the Garvan Institute and the University of New South Wales. His research focuses on understanding brain mechanisms that underlie hearing in mammals with an emphasis on structure-function relationships in auditory circuits of the brain. He is especially interested in how deafness and hearing loss alter brain organization, and in exploring strategies for hearing restoration. Professor Ryugo is also a Principal Honorary Fellow at the Bionic Institute in Melbourne and an honorary member of the Ear Nose & Throat Department at St. Vincent’s Hospital.
When not working in the lab or worrying about funding, David enjoys reading, rock climbing, traveling with his wife, Karen, and his new hobby of woodworking and metal work.
Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Thursday 7 November to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au
If you wish to claim this event as a non-endorsed Category 1 activity through Audiology Australia, please notify the registration desk before the seminar and an certificate of attendance will be emailed to you after the seminar.

Working memory and reading difficulties
2019-09-16 00:00

How to make evidence-based decisions about treatments for poor readers ...
2019-09-16 00:00

AHH seminar: Animal models to understand auditory function and hearing ...
2019-07-31 00:00
Speaker: Dr. Sonya Pyott
Date: Tuesday 13 August
Time: 10.00am – 11.30am
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
10.00am – 10.05am – Welcome
10.05am – 10.45am – Presentation
11.45am – 11.00am – Q & A
11.00am – 11.30am – Networking & Refreshments
Abstract:
The inner ear is responsible for our ability to perceive sound. The sensorineural structures, including the sensory hair cells and auditory neurons, are responsible for encoding auditory stimuli and relaying this information to the brain. Encoding these stimuli requires a repertoire of molecular components about which still very little is known. In this talk, Dr. Pyott will review recent work in her laboratory taking advantage of animal models, transcriptomic sequencing and in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology to catalog these molecular components and determine their contribution to both normal hearing and hearing loss. She will also present more recent work taking advantage of comparative animal models to examine the peripheral auditory system and, as part of her Endeavour Executive Leadership Award Endeavour working with Prof. David Ryugo (Garvan Medical Institute) and Prof. Alan Brichta (University of Newcastle), to investigate how input from the auditory periphery shapes circuitry in the brain. These findings direct new approaches to treat age- and disease-related dysfunction of the inner ear.
Relevant recent papers:
Altered cochlear innervation in developing and mature naked and Damaraland mole rats.
Barone CM, Douma S, Reijntjes DOJ, Browe BM, Köppl C, Klump G, Park TJ, Pyott SJ.
J Comp Neurol. 2019 Oct 1;527(14):2302-2316. PMID: 30861124
Sodium-activated potassium channels shape peripheral auditory function and activity of the primary auditory neurons in mice. Reijntjes DOJ, Lee JH, Park S, Schubert NMA, van Tuinen M, Vijayakumar S, Jones TA, Jones SM, Gratton MA, Xia XM, Yamoah EN, Pyott SJ. Sci Rep. 2019 Feb 22;9(1):2573. PMID: 30796290
The afferent signaling complex: Regulation of type I spiral ganglion neuron responses in the auditory periphery. Reijntjes DOJ, Pyott SJ. Hear Res. 2016 Jun;336:1-16. PMID: 27018296
Bio:
Dr. Sonja Pyott received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Penn State University (1999). As part of her undergraduate studies, she did honors research in Chemistry using amperometry and electron microscopy to examine dopaminergic neurotransmission in a molluscan synapse. As a Fulbright Scholar, Sr. Pyott worked with Prof. Christian Rosenmund at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany using patch clamp electrophysiology to examine mechanisms regulating vesicular release in hippocampal neurons (2000). She then completed her PhD in Neuroscience at Stanford University in the laboratory of Prof. Richard Aldrich. Her doctoral research used a combination of approaches, including patch clamp electrophysiology, immunofluorescence, measurement of auditory brainstem responses, to examine the contribution of BK potassium channels to hair cell physiology and hearing in a mouse model (2006). Dr. Pyott was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Elisabeth Glowatzki and examined the role of metabotropic glutamate receptors to regulation of efferent inhibition of inner hair cells (2007). From 2007 to 2014, Dr. Sonja Pyott was assistant professor in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Dr. Sonja Pyott is currently assistant professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the University Medical Center Groningen and University Groningen in the Netherlands. Her research continues to take an interdisciplinary approach to understand the molecular mechanisms regulate the peripheral auditory system and more recently investigating how input from the auditory periphery shapes circuitry in the brain.
Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Friday 9 August 2019 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au
If you wish to claim this event as a non-endorsed Category 1 activity through Audiology Australia, please notify the registration desk before the seminar and an certificate of attendance will be emailed to you after the seminar.

Hear for You - upcoming programs June - October 2019 ...
2019-06-02 00:00

AHH seminar: The Cochlear Implant: from research curiosity to routine ...
2019-05-27 00:00
Speaker: Professor Jim Patrick AO FTSE
Date: Monday 24 June
Time: 1.00pm – 2.30pm
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
1.00pm – 1.05pm – Welcome
1.05pm – 1.45pm – Presentation
1.45pm – 2.00pm – Q & A
2.00pm – 2.30pm – Networking & Refreshments
Abstract:
The cochlear implant is today an established treatment for severe to profound hearing loss, for people of all ages. This presentation will describe my journey over the past forty years, from the early research studies with Professor Graeme Clark’s multidisciplinary team at the University of Melbourne to product development and enhancement with evolving science and technology by Cochlear Limited and partners around the world. It will include a high level view of many of the activities that were needed to bring this novel implantable medical device to market, and some of the issues that needed to be addressed along the way.
Key aspects of the early work were safety studies that proved that the auditory nerve could be stimulated electrically without damage and psychophysical studies with a volunteer research subject that led to the development of the first speech coding strategy. Funding from the Australian Government then led to the establishment of the Cochlear project by the company Nucleus Limited.
The development of the initial Cochlear device was completed in just 13 months, followed by clinical trials in Australia and then the US and Europe. Important connections were established with Key Opinion Leaders in Audiology and Otology as well as with the Regulatory Agencies. Before this time the professionals in the field were generally quite sceptical about possible benefit that could be provided by the cochlear implant, but their personal experiences and those of their patients transformed this scepticism to universal support.
The presentation will describe how sustained research and technology development have since improved recipient outcomes and device usability, together device reliability. It will illustrate how a medical device company can work closely with academic research partners to resolve important scientific and clinical questions.

Bio:
Professor Jim Patrick AO FTSE is one of the original engineers who pioneered the development of the multichannel cochlear implant with Professor Graeme Clark. He is recognised as a world authority on cochlear implants.
He joined Professor Clark’s research team at The University of Melbourne in 1975. In 1981, after the first successful human implants were concluded, he moved to Sydney as a key member of the original three-man team, devoted to developing a ‘clinically applicable’ cochlear implant.
He was responsible for systems engineering and the digital aspects of the implantable stimulator, playing a key leadership role in the development of the commercial medical implant. Since then he has been a member of Cochlear Limited’s senior management team, holding a number of technology management roles, including responsibility for R&D, Quality and Manufacturing. Since retiring at the end of 2016, he has taken on a consulting role at Cochlear Limited with the title Chief Scientist – Emeritus.
Today, Cochlear Limited is a global company, with annual sales of more than $1 billion, more than 3000 employees, direct sales in more than 20 countries and distributor sales in more than 100 countries, and research centres in all continents. Cochlear has a global share of the cochlear implant market of more than 60 per cent.

Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Wednesday 19 June 2019 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

To view other up and coming AHH member events please go to: http://hearinghub.edu.au/events/

A day at the Australian Hearing Hub - Itinerant Teachers ...
2019-05-14 00:00
“A day at the Australian Hearing Hub”
A site visit for Itinerant Teachers of the Deaf (ITOD)
Date: Friday 6 December
Time: 9:15 – 2:00
Location: Lecture Theatre, Level 1, Australian Hearing Hub
Cost: $20
Morning tea and lunch will be provided. We have chosen to reduce the cost of the event to facilitate your attendance recognising that parking at Macquarie University is an additional expense.
The Australian Hearing Hub members invite Itinerant Teachers of the Deaf for a site visit to learn about the clinical work and the research that is taking place at the Australian Hearing Hub.
Accreditation: Completing A day at the Australian Hearing Hub course will contribute 6 hours of NESA Registered PD addressing 1.5, 1.6, 6.3, 6.4 and 7.4 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.
There will be a number of short presentations by many of the Australian Hearing Hub members, including Hearing Australia, National Acoustic Laboratories, Royal Institute of Deaf and Blind Children, The Shepherd Centre, Macquarie University and Cochlear Limited. Please see the agenda below.
After a tremendous response, registration is now closed as we have reached our capacity for the event. To go on the waitlist, please email Louise Dodd at louise.dodd@mq.edu.au and you will be contacted if a place becomes available.

Agenda

Time
Topic
Presenter

8.45 – 9.25
Registration

9.25 – 9.45
Welcome
· Overview of the Australian Hearing Hub
· Overview of the Macquarie University Hearing Strategy

David McAlpine, Professor of Hearing, Language & The Brain
Director of Hearing Research

9.45 – 10.15
Hearing Australia
· Overview, Research and Demographics
· Roger/FM systems
· CI support for children
· NDIS- an update
· How we can support local training for ISTHs

Simone Punch, Clinical Coach and Paediatric Audiologist

10.15 – 10.35
Royal Institute of Deaf and Blind Children
· Cochlear implant overview
· Candidacy and referral
· RIDBC services

Kylie Chisholm, Northern Sydney Area Manager
Best Practice Lead Cochlear Implant Re/habilitation

10.35 – 10.55
The Shepherd Centre
· The Shepherd Centre Services
· Functional Listening Index Paediatric (FLI-P)
· Access to sound protocols

Joanna McAdam, Principal Listening and Spoken Language Manager

10.55 – 11.15
MQ Health Speech and Hearing Clinic
· Macquarie University’s school screening of hearing program
· Provide an overview of our hearing screening program
· Provide an overview of the Stewart House data set

Phillip Nakad, Audiology Manager

11.15 – 11.45
Coffee break
Optional:

Tour Anechoic Chamber – 15 min
booths

11.45 – 12.05
National Acoustics Laboratories (NAL)
Psychosocial functioning of children with hearing loss in Australia
· Findings from the LOCHI study, an long-term study of children growing up with hearing loss in Australia.
· Discuss the relation between social functioning and cognition

Vivienne Marnane, Researcher, Communication Sciences Department

12.05 – 12.25
Child Language Lab
· Language development in children with hearing loss: Implications for teaching practice
· Describe the communicative abilities of pre-schoolers and school-aged children with hearing loss – in terms of comprehension and production
· Identify where, when, and why breakdowns occur
· Discuss how schools can play a role in fostering better communication abilities

Nan Xu Rattanasone, Research Fellow, Deputy Director of the Child Language Lab, member of Macquarie University Centre for Language Sciences

12.25 – 12.45
Centre for Emotional Health
· Understanding anxiety in children, particularly in children with hearing impairments
· Approach to managing anxiety problems
· Services available to assist

Jennie Hudson, Professor, academic clinical child psychologist.

12.45 – 1.25
Lunch
Optional:

Tour anechoic Chamber – 15 min
booths

1.25 – 1.50
Cochlear
New Paediatric Adolescent Rehabilitation Resources
· Introduction to Cochlear Family
· Paediatric Resources: Starting School Toolkit
Adolescent & Adult Resources: Bring Back the Beat™ App

Tricia Medina M.Aud.A (CCP), Cochlear Recipient Engagement Manager (APAC)

2.00

Close
Optional:
· Tour anechoic Chamber – 15 min
· booths

AHH seminar: Hearing Loss, Aging, and Public Health
2019-05-02 00:00
Speaker: Professor Frank Lin
Date: Friday 10 May
Time: 9.00am – 10.00am
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
9.00am – 9.05am – Welcome
9.05am – 9.45am – Presentation
9.45am – 10.00am – Q & A
Abstract:
Medicine and public health have evolved through three eras over the past century. Beginning in the first half of the 20th century, infectious diseases were controlled for the first time in human history through vaccinations, hygiene, and other strategies. Subsequently, throughout the 20th century, chronic diseases of middle and later life (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancers) became the leading causes of mortality but have also increasingly been better controlled. These successes of public health have led to a rapidly increasing population of older adults living longer than ever before. In this third era of public health, we are now confronting the challenge of aging and how to best optimize the health and functioning of a growing population of older adults. In this era, hearing and our ability to engage effectively with the environment around us are critically important but not yet priorities in the spheres of public health and public policy.
I will discuss research over the past several years that has demonstrated the broad implications of hearing loss for the health and functioning of older adults, particularly with respect to cognitive functioning, brain aging, and dementia. I will then discuss how this epidemiologic research has directly informed and led to current national initiatives focused on hearing loss and public health. These initiatives include the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) randomized controlled trial, the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017, and the development of novel accessible and affordable approaches to hearing care delivery.
Bio:
Frank R. Lin, M.D., Ph.D. is the director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health and a Professor of Otolaryngology, Medicine, Mental Health, and Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Lin completed his medical education, residency in Otolaryngology, and Ph.D. in Clinical Investigation, all at Johns Hopkins. He completed further otologic fellowship training in Lucerne, Switzerland. Dr. Lin’s clinical practice is dedicated to otology and the medical and surgical management of hearing loss. His public health research focuses on understanding how hearing loss affects the health and functioning of older adults and the strategies and policies needed to mitigate these effects. From 2014-2016, Lin led initiatives with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (workshop, consensus study), the White House President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and Congress that resulted in passage of the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 which overturned 40 years of established regulatory precedent in the U.S. This federal law reflects the direct result of his prior research and broader policy work around hearing loss and public health. He currently serves as a member of the Board on Health Sciences Policy at the National Academies. As the director of the Cochlear Center, he oversees over $30 million in committed NIH and philanthropic funding dedicated to advancing the mission areas of the Center.
Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Tuesday 7 May 2019 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

AHH seminar: Evoked responses to speech: Improving measurement, understanding limitations ...
2019-05-01 00:00
Speaker: A/Prof. Steven Bell
Date: Monday 8 July
Time: 10.00am – 11.30am
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
10.00am – 10.05am – Welcome
10.05am – 10.45am – Presentation
11.45am – 11.00am – Q & A
11.00am – 11.30am – Networking & Refreshments
Abstract:
Measuring evoked responses to speech is generally more challenging than evoking responses to repeating artificial stimuli. A number of methods have been proposed to measure speech evoked responses including brainstem responses to repeating consonant-vowel stimuli, envelope following responses to voiced speech, cortical responses to consonants and decoding the envelope of running speech from cortical activity. Our group is interested in optimising the detection of such responses, understanding measurements limitations (for example reliability and measurement time) and assessing potential clinical applications such as evaluating hearing aid function.
This presentation will summarise findings from a recent collaboration between the Universities of Southampton, Manchester and Imperial College that explored measurement approaches for evoked responses to speech with an aim to use such responses to optimise hearing aid fittings for individuals. Improvements to response measurement arising from the project include better statistical detection of envelope following responses, relatively fast measurement of cortical responses to sentences and a new approach for measuring brainstem responses to running speech.
Using running speech has good face validity to evaluate hearing aids. Cortical responses to running speech can be measured in a reasonable time scale in the majority of older adults with mild to moderate presbycusis, so they have potential as a clinical measurement tool. Cortical responses to speech do not appear not very sensitive to the effects of hearing aid gain for mild to moderate high frequency loss, although we have not tested the effects for more severe losses or higher gains. The detection of brainstem responses to running speech appears relatively low for older adults compared to younger normal hearing subjects and this may limit the clinical application of speech brainstem responses in adults compared to cortical measures.
Future applications of evoked responses to running speech could include the prediction of speech in noise performance or exploring auditory processing disorders.
Bio:
Dr Steven Bell is Associate Professor of Audiology within Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Southampton. He is a registered Clinical Scientist and coordinates the MSc in Audiology at Southampton. His primary area of research involves evoked responses: Measuring electrical responses from the hearing and balance system in response to sensory stimulation. He is also interested in methods to test human balance and to evaluate the benefits of hearing aids and cochlear implants. His research has been supported by bodies including Action on Hearing Loss, the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), the Oticon Foundation and the National Institute for Health Research and he recently led the EPSRC project ‘Personalized fitting and evaluation of hearing aids with EEG responses’.
Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Wednesday 3 July 2019 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

AHH seminar: Hearing Loss, Aging, and Public Health
2019-04-30 00:00
Speaker: Professor Frank Lin
Date: Friday 10 May
Time: 1.00pm – 2.30pm
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
1.00pm – 1.05pm – Welcome
1.05pm – 1.45pm – Presentation
1.45pm – 2.00pm – Q & A
2.00pm – 2.30pm – Networking & Refreshments
Abstract:
Medicine and public health have evolved through three eras over the past century. Beginning in the first half of the 20th century, infectious diseases were controlled for the first time in human history through vaccinations, hygiene, and other strategies. Subsequently, throughout the 20th century, chronic diseases of middle and later life (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancers) became the leading causes of mortality but have also increasingly been better controlled. These successes of public health have led to a rapidly increasing population of older adults living longer than ever before. In this third era of public health, we are now confronting the challenge of aging and how to best optimize the health and functioning of a growing population of older adults. In this era, hearing and our ability to engage effectively with the environment around us are critically important but not yet priorities in the spheres of public health and public policy.
I will discuss research over the past several years that has demonstrated the broad implications of hearing loss for the health and functioning of older adults, particularly with respect to cognitive functioning, brain aging, and dementia. I will then discuss how this epidemiologic research has directly informed and led to current national initiatives focused on hearing loss and public health. These initiatives include the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) randomized controlled trial, the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017, and the development of novel accessible and affordable approaches to hearing care delivery.
Bio:
Frank R. Lin, M.D., Ph.D. is the director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health and a Professor of Otolaryngology, Medicine, Mental Health, and Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Lin completed his medical education, residency in Otolaryngology, and Ph.D. in Clinical Investigation, all at Johns Hopkins. He completed further otologic fellowship training in Lucerne, Switzerland. Dr. Lin’s clinical practice is dedicated to otology and the medical and surgical management of hearing loss. His public health research focuses on understanding how hearing loss affects the health and functioning of older adults and the strategies and policies needed to mitigate these effects. From 2014-2016, Lin led initiatives with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (workshop, consensus study), the White House President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and Congress that resulted in passage of the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 which overturned 40 years of established regulatory precedent in the U.S. This federal law reflects the direct result of his prior research and broader policy work around hearing loss and public health. He currently serves as a member of the Board on Health Sciences Policy at the National Academies. As the director of the Cochlear Center, he oversees over $30 million in committed NIH and philanthropic funding dedicated to advancing the mission areas of the Center.
Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Tuesday 7 May 2019 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

AHH seminar: Evidence-based interventions for adult aural rehabilitation: : that ...
2019-04-18 00:00
Speaker: Dr Melanie Ferguson
Date: Monday 13 May
Time: 1.00pm – 2.30pm
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
1.00pm – 1.05pm – Welcome
1.05pm – 1.45pm – Presentation
1.45pm – 2.00pm – Q & A
2.00pm – 2.30pm – Networking & Refreshments
Abstract:
In 2007, Arthur Boothroyd published the often-cited “Adult Aural Rehabilitation: what is it and does it work?”. More than a decade on, this presentation will examine developments in adult aural rehabilitation (AR) to improve auditory function, activity, participation and quality of life through research relating to the four cornerstones of AR intervention: hearing aids and other listening devices (sensory management), knowledge and skill (instruction), auditory and cognitive training (perceptual training), and motivational engagement (counselling).
Self-management and behavior change are at the core of many of these interventions. There is a focus on the need for high-quality research as this is needed to provide rigorous evidence to inform clinical practice and national guidelines. Much of this new research has a theoretical underpinning (e.g. behavior change theory) to better guide the development and evaluation of interventions, increasing likelihood of implementation of research into clinical practice. The role of new and emerging technologies that support e- and m-health delivery of interventions to increase access, personalisation and engagement of patients with hearing healthcare will be discussed. Looking to the future, the requirement for a set of relevant and appropriate outcome measures to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions trialed in clinical studies will be highlighted.
Bio:
Mel Ferguson has recently become the Head of Audiology at NAL, and has responsibility for the Adult Hearing Loss research area. Prior to that she was an Associate Professor in Hearing Sciences and Consultant Clinical Scientist (audiology) at the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, UK. Her translational research programme on Mild to Moderate Hearing Loss aimed to promote healthy hearing by reducing activity limitations and participation restrictions. This research focussed on (i) e-health and self-management, (ii) listening and cognition, and (iii) listening devices. These primary themes were underpinned by health behaviour, patient-centred approaches and outcome measures. Previously, Mel worked at the MRC Institute of Hearing Research, and was the head of the Clinical Section. There she worked on early screening for hearing loss, modernising hearing aid services, and APD in children.
Mel has a long track record in audiology professional affairs, with leadership roles in the British Society of Audiology and British Academy of Audiology. For example, she was Chair of the BSA Adult Rehabilitation Interest Group, Chair of the BAA Higher Training committee, and until recently was the Vice-chair for BSA. She contributed to developing national clinical guidelines on hearing Loss as a member of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline development committee.
Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Wednesday 8 May 2019 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

The Shepherd Centre's first live Crowdfunding Event
2019-03-11 00:00

An accessible Junior Science Academy program for deaf or hard ...
2019-03-07 00:00
17 April: Bird Time Lucky (years 2-3)
18 April: Incredible Forces (years 2-3)
Children are introduced to science concepts and skills in a safe and supportive environment.

Courses teach the concepts through experiments, art, drama, physical activity, craft and other hands-on activities.
Children meet others with similar life experiences to them and enjoy making new social connections.
Parents may be able to claim some or all fees through the NDIS. Speak to your planner.
Auslan interpreters will be available to assist children in classes.

T0 find out more and register, please go to Junior Science Academy
Class descriptions
Incredible Forces (years 2-3) 18 AprilLearning experiences include:
Balloon rockets Egg-citing science
Push and pull dance Magnetic forces
Make a bridge that can withstand strong push forces

Bird Time Lucky (years 2-3) 17 April
Bird features
Bird walk- what can you find? Bird talk – special guest
Bird beaks and adaptations

AHH seminar: Music and Hearing Loss
2019-02-21 00:00
Presenters: A/Prof Alexandre Lehmann, Chi Yhun Lo, Remi Marchand, Nille Elise Kepp
Date: Thursday 28 February 2019
Time: 2.00pm – 4.30pm
Location: Level 1, Lecture Theatre 1.200, Australian Hearing Hub
Agenda:
2.00pm – 2.30pm: A novel virtual reality test to explore spatial localization abilities, musical pitch ranking abilities, and low frequency residual hearing in 7 – 12-year old Danish children with hearing loss.
Nille Elise Kepp (University of Copenhagen, Decibel)
This presentation will consist of preliminary results and clinical experiences; and future directions exploring the potential associations between performance in musical timbre perception and spatial localisation abilities, musical pitch ranking abilities, and low frequency residual hearing.
2.30pm – 3.00pm: Factors influencing enjoyment of music with hearing aids.
Remi Marchand (The HEARing CRC, Macquarie University)
Currently, hearing aids (HAs) are adjusted to compensate for individual hearing loss primarily to maximise the clarity and comfort of speech. Electroacoustic characteristics and settings of HAs may be ideal for speech recognition, but not for music enjoyment. Some aspects of the signal processing involved in HA design may interfere with the enjoyment of music. As an alternative to the standard fitting methods, most of the manufacturers offer different processing programs for customers in need of a specific amplification for music. However, recent studies suggested that these music programs may not improve significantly the experience of music listening and can still be optimized.
3.00pm – 3.30pm: Beyond audition: the benefits of music for children with hearing loss.
Chi Yhun Lo (Macquarie University, The HEARing CRC, The ARC Centre for Cognition and its Disorders)
The benefits of music training are only beginning to be explored for children with hearing loss. While the focus has been primarily on auditory benefits, music is well-noted for being a multisensory experience that places unique demands on motor skills, cognition, vision, and audition. After 12-weeks of music training that consisted of face-to-face group based sessions supplemented by music apps; children with hearing loss improved in communication skills that extend beyond speech perception—highlighting the broader benefits of music participation.
3.30pm – 4.00pm: Musical emotions in cochlear implant users.
Alexandre Lehmann (McGill University, International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, and Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music)
The most common reason for listening to music is its rich emotional content. With a cochlear implant (CI), a deaf person can hear again and learn to understand speech. But their ability to enjoy music or perceive emotions is dramatically altered, partly because the sound signal is degraded, and very different from acoustic hearing. This has far-reaching negative consequences, because accurately perceiving emotions in language and music plays a crucial role for social development and integration, communication, employment prospects and overall quality of life.
In this talk, I will address the following questions:

How accurate are implant users at perceiving auditory emotions?
Which auditory features best convey emotions through cochlear implants?
How do emotion-evoked brain responses differ between implant users and normal hearing controls?

4.00pm – 4.30pm: Networking and Refreshments
Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Tuesday 26 February 2019 to Chi Lo chi.lo@mq.edu.au

Indigenous Hearing Health Symposium, incorporating the 2019 Libby Harricks Memorial ...
2019-02-11 00:00
Date: Tuesday 5 March
Time: 9:00am – 1:30pm
Location: Macquarie University, Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1 Lecture Theatre
To mark World Hearing Day and Hearing Awareness Week, H:EAR – Hearing Education Application Research, Macquarie University and the Australian Hearing Hub invite you to an Indigenous Hearing Health symposium on Tuesday 5 March 2019.
The event will open with the 2019 Libby Harricks Memorial Oration by Professor Andrew Smith (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), and feature presentations by Professor Amanda Leach (Menzies School of Health Research), Dr Liesa Clague (Macquarie University) and Samantha Harkus (Australian Hearing).
Rates of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) among Aboriginal children living in remote areas in Australia are the highest in the world. (Leach, A. (1999). Otitis media in Australian Aboriginal children: An overview. International Journal Of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 49, S173-S178.)
The symposium will present perspectives on current issues in public health planning and implementation, Indigenous hearing health research, education and service delivery.
Bringing together policy makers, researchers, clinicians, educators and service providers to build knowledge and awareness, we aim to identify the challenges and work towards potential solutions that can lead to better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Register now for this free event
For more information please contact Sally Piper: sally.piper@mq.edu.au
————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Deafness Forum of Australia and Audiology Australia present the annual Libby Harricks Memorial Oration. Since 1999, the Oration series raises awareness of issues of hearing health, deafness and ear and balance disorders. The series honours the memory of the late Libby Harricks AO, the first President of Deafness Forum of Australia. For her work on behalf of hearing-impaired people, Libby was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1990. https://www.deafnessforum.org.au/events/libby-harricks-memorial-oration/

AHH seminar: Insertion techniques to preserve residual hearing
2019-02-06 00:00
Presenter: Professor Arne Ernst
Date: Wednesday 13 February 2019
Time: 12.30pm – 2.00pm
Location: Level 1, Lecture Theatre, Australian Hearing Hub
Agenda:
12.30pm – 12.35pm – Welcome
12.35pm – 1.20pm – Presentation
1.20pm – 1.30pm – Q & A
1.30pm – 2.00pm – Networking and Refreshments
Abstract:
Several approaches have been undertaken over the last decade to preserve residual hearing. In
addition to surgical approaches (e.g., round window insertion, speed-of-insertion), device
modifications (electrode, e.g., shape/diameter of the electrode) and others (e.g., drugs, IOM) have
been investigated.
While the application of steroids in cochlear implantatology (e.g., Bento et al 2016, Skarczynski et al.
2018) has proven success, new, neuromodulatory approaches faile das yet in controlled, clinical
trials.
We therefore have investigated over the last few years in detail which surgical modification can
achieve the best result for preserving residual hearing.
Our model/animal/TB and live experiments looked deeply into the insertion of the CI electrode with
respect to atraumaticity (round window vs. cochleostomy approach), reducing intracochlear pressure
waves (opening technique for the RW, speed-of-insertion), sealing the cochlear opening and cable
positioning (e.g., artificial material, glue).
These results of different series will be summarized to guide the surgeon in their approaches of
improving cochlear implant service and actively promoting the preservation of residual hearing.
Bio: Arne Ernst, MD, PhD
Professor Arne Ernst is chairman of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at UKB, Hospital of the University of Berlin, Charite Medical School and a pioneer of the cochlear implant program in Germany.
He specialises in otology, neurotology, vestibular rehab, and age-related audiovestibular disorders.
His clinical experience includes 250 papers in peer-reviews journals, 8 textbooks on audiology, otology, and neurotology. He has been principal investigator in five large multicentre and multinational studies on iinner ear pharmacology related to hearing loss, tinnitus, preservation of residual hearing in CI, and acute vertigo.
Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Monday 11 February 2019 to Abel Anzaldo: aanzaldo@cochlear.com

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Kids January 2019
2018-12-17 00:00

IERASG 2019 – “Waves down Under” - XXVI Biennial Symposium ...
2018-12-17 00:00

Toward Modelling the Development of Speech Planning in Production
2018-12-04 00:00

Hearing Hub Ideas: Hackathon
2018-11-19 00:00
Photo credit via: www.vpnsrus.com
Date: 12-14 December
Time: 9am – 5pm
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
The hackathon will be organised by the machine-learning applications for hearing and hearing-technology ideas group at the Australian Hearing Hub. The goal is to develop collaborations within the Australian Hearing Hub and across the University, generating grant applications and projects leading to innovative technologies in hearing research.
Prizes
1st Prize: $300 for each challenge
2nd Prize: $150 for each challenge
‘People’s Choice’ prize: $100
Challenges
There will be two challenges involving data to be released at the start of the hackathon:
1) How well can speech understanding be predicted from electroencephalogram (EEG) data?
2) Can we determine what factors are causing hearing loss in young people, using a dataset of 1400 respondents that includes lifestyle surveys, physiological measurements and hearing tests?
We are particularly interested in recruiting hackathon participants with backgrounds in computer science, engineering, statistics, or neuroscience. Some programming experience in Python is recommended. Baseline solutions for the challenges will be provided in Python but participants may approach the problems however they wish.
Structure
The hackathon will take place over three days (12-14 December) from 9am to 5pm.
Day 1: AM – Icebreaker, introduction to the challenges, form teams
PM- Hacking
Day 2: Open. For those attending the Australian Hearing Hub, there will be a Python expert at hand to provide support if required. For those working from home or elsewhere, there will be online support throughout the day.
Day 3: AM – Hacking
PM – presentations, judging and prize giving!
Lunch and refreshments will be provided on all three days.
To register click here
Further details about the format of the data and software we recommend installing will be provided here closer to the event.

Two-day workshop: Spatial hearing from biophysics to behaviour
2018-10-01 00:00
Title: Spatial hearing from biophysics to behaviour
Host: Professor David McAlpine
Date, time, location: Monday 8 October, 12:45pm to 5:15pm, Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Tuesday 9 October, 9:30am to 5:00pm, 18 Wally’s Walk , MAZE Conference, Room A
This two-day workshop brings together research leaders in the field of binaural and spatial hearing—spanning expertise in human spatial listening, brain-imaging techniques for assessing binaural performance, animal physiology & neural modelling, and therapeutic interventions such as bilateral cochlear implantation—to discuss the state-of-the-art and the way forward if we are to understand how the brain generates a sense of auditory space, and how that spatial processing might be restored in individuals with hearing problems.
Please rsvp chi.lo@mq.edu.au by Thursday 4 October for catering purposes.
Agenda:
Monday 8 October (Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre)

12:45 – 1:20
Antje Ihlefeld
Human sound localization depends on sound intensity: implications for sensory coding

1:20 – 1:55
Jorg Bucholz
More realistic assessment of hearing ability and hearing device benefit

1:55 – 2:30
Mathias Dietz
Factors limiting spatial hearing performance with bilateral cochlear implants and first steps to reduce the shortcomings

2:30 – 3:05
Jaime Undurraga and Jessica Monaghan
Binaural coherence between temporal fine structure and envelope determines interaural time difference sensitivity

3:05 – 3:30
Afternoon tea

3:30 – 4:05
Jörg-Hendrik Bach
Explaining hearing aid fine-tuning gain preferences with binaural loudness summation

4:05 – 4:40
Andy Brughera
Modelling Mechanisms for Sound Localization: ITD-Encoding in Amplitude Modulation & Delay within MSO Neurons

4:40 – 5:15
David McAlpine
Spatial Hearing from biophysics to behaviour

Tuesday, 9 October (18 Wally’s Walk, MAZE Conference, Room A)

9:30 – 10:05
Michael Pecka
Neuronal adaptations for spatial hearing in complex environments

10:05 – 11:10
Barbara Beiderbeck
New perspectives on inhibitory functions in auditory spatial processing

11:10 – 11:30
Morning tea

11:30 – 12:05
Jörg Encke
A Formal Two-Channel Model Explains the Accuracy and Acuity of IPD Perception

12:05 – 12:40
Torsten Marquardt
On the detectability of interaural-parameter co-modulation across frequency bands

12:40 – 1:20
Lunch

1:20 – 2:55
Nick Haywood
Amplitude modulated binaural beats: Lateralization cues from sound onset and from on-going modulation

2:55 – 3:30
Jason Mikiel-Hunter
Lateralization of reverberant speech with ITD cues: perspectives from a linear MSO model with adapting input

3:30 – 3:50
Afternoon tea

3:50 – 4:25
Robert Luke
Interaural Correlation Modulates Cortical Oxyhaemoglobin Concentration

4:25 – 5:00
Hamish Innes-Brown
Hearing assessment using fNIRS: frontiers and challenges

AHH seminar: Novel strategies for inner ear regeneration
2018-09-10 00:00
Presentation title: Novel strategies for inner ear regeneration
Speaker: Judith Kempfle
Date: Thursday 13 September
Time: 1.30pm – 3.00pm
Location: AHH, Level 1, Tutorial Room, 1.620
Agenda:
1.30pm – 1.35pm – Welcome
1.35pm – 2.20pm – Presentation
2.20pm – 2.30pm – Q & A
2.30pm – 3.00pm – Refreshments and networking
Abstract: Cochlear implant users rely on residual spiral ganglion neurons of the inner ear to convey acoustic signals to downstream auditory centers. Prolonged deafness and auditory neuropathy are conditions that are associated with degeneration of cochlear neurons.
The overall goal of our research is to develop novel therapies to regenerate cochlear neurons via endogenous or exogenous techniques. Our work in mice focuses on 1) transplantation of neural progenitors from embryonic stem cells (exogenous) to replace damaged cochlear neurons, 2) regeneration of cochlear neurons from endogenous remaining glial cells via neural conversion, and 3) regeneration of auditory synapses via novel bisphosphonate – small molecule neurotrophic factor hybrid compounds that enables long-term, sustained effects in the cochlea.
Bio: Dr. Judith Kempfle is originally from Germany, and received her M.D. from the Albert Einstein University in Ulm, Germany. From 2008-2012, she did a postdoctoral fellowship with Albert Edge PhD in the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) and Harvard Medical School. There, she examined the role of transcription factor Sox2 on cell fate of cochlear sensory progenitor cells. She returned to Germany for residency in Otolaryngology at Tübingen University Medical Center in the academic scientist track and is now back in Boston at MEEI to continue her research and complete her surgical training.
She is a senior research associate and collaborates with both Albert Edge and David Jung, MD PhD.
Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Tuesday 11 September 2018 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

AHH Seminar: The Connectome Model of Deafness: Towards a Personalized ...
2018-08-28 00:00
Seminar Title: The Connectome Model of Deafness: Towards a Personalized Medical Treatment of Hearing Loss
Presenter: Professor Andrej Kral
Date: Tuesday 18 September
Time: 12.30pm – 2.00pm
Location: Level 1, Lecture Theatre, Australian Hearing Hub
Agenda:
12.30pm – 12.35pm – Welcome
12.35pm – 1.20pm – Presentation
1.20pm – 1.30pm – Q & A
1.30pm – 2.00pm – Networking and Refreshments
Abstract: Neural information processing and information storage takes place at synaptic contacts. The brain represents a heavily interconnected neuronal network with connections within and between brain subsystems (like e.g. hearing and vision). These effective connections in their totality (the brain´s connectome) determine the individual´s behavior, memory, perceptions and emotions. All sensory systems are mutually connected, but also connected with other brain regions including the motor system, so that loss of hearing affects more than audition (the connectome model of deafness, Kral et al., 2016, 2017). I will review the information on how hearing loss during development affects auditory processing (e.g. Yusuf et al., 2017; Berger et al., 2017) and cross-modal reorganization (e.g. Land et al., 2016, 2018) and will review the potential central factors that contribute to outcome variations in cochlear implant subjects. I will highlight two phases during which the influence is likely strongest: during development and during aging.
To improve the outcomes of cochlear implantation, an integrated approach is required that allows to collect and analyze the factors and their combinations that contribute to the outcome in each individual. This requires the understanding of the processes behind hearing and the etiopathophysiology of hearing loss to allow personlized approaches to each individual. Only collaboration across many disciplines can provide an individualized treatment that allows optimal outcomes in the future.
Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Germany (Exc 1077) and National Science Foundation, USA (in collaboration DLR, grant # 01GQ1703).
References:
Berger C, Kühne D, Scheper V, Kral A (2017) Congenital deafness affects deep layers in primary and secondary auditory cortex. J Comp Neurol 525:3110-3125.
Kral A, Kronenberger WG, Pisoni DB, O’Donoghue GM (2016) Neurocognitive factors in sensory restoration of early deafness: a connectome model. Lancet Neurol 15:610-621.
Kral A, Yusuf PA, Land R (2017) Higher-order auditory areas in congenital deafness: Top-down interactions and corticocortical decoupling. Hear Res 343:50-63.
Land R, Radecke JO, Kral A (2018) Congenital Deafness Reduces, But Does Not Eliminate Auditory Responsiveness in Cat Extrastriate Visual Cortex. Neurosci 375:149-157.
Land R, Baumhoff P, Tillein J, Lomber SG, Hubka P, Kral A (2016) Cross-Modal Plasticity in Higher-Order Auditory Cortex of Congenitally Deaf Cats Does Not Limit Auditory Responsiveness to Cochlear Implants. J Neurosci 36:6175-6185.
Yusuf PA, Hubka P, Tillein J, Kral A (2017) Induced cortical responses require developmental sensory experience. Brain 140:3153-3165.
Bio: Andrej Kral was born in Bratislava and studied general medicine (Comenius University, MD 1993, PhD 1998). His first research position was at the Institute of Pathological Physiology, Comenius University (1992 – 1995). During his PhD, in collaboration with the Mathematical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Science (Prof. V. Majernik), he developed computer models of neuronal networks. In 1995, he moved to Germany to focus to cochlear implants and in vivo neurophysiology at the Institute of Sensory Physiology, J.W.Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main (Prof. R. Klinke). There he was appointed associate professor of physiology (“Priv.-Doz.”) in 2002. From 2004 to 2009 he was Professor of Neurophysiology at the University of Hamburg. Since 2009 he has been appointed Chaired Professor of Auditory Neuroscience at the Medical University Hannover and the director of research of the ENT clinics. Andrej Kral heads the Dept. of Experimental Otology and is the scientific director of the Joint Institute of AudioNeuroTechnology. Since 2004 he has been Adjunct Professor of Neuroscience and Cognition at The University of Texas at Dallas, USA and since 2017 an elected member of the German National Academy of Science. A Kral’s research interests include neuroscience of deafness, cochlear implants, auditory development, brain plasticity, cross-modal reorganization and neuroprosthetic brain stimulation. His research has been published, among others, in New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Lancet Neurology, Nature Neuroscience, Trends in Neuroscience, Brain, Journal of Neuroscience and Cerebral Cortex. A. Kral gave more than 150 invited talks at international conferences and research institutions in US and Europe. Together with A.N.Popper and R.R.Fay he edited the volume of the Springer Handbook of Auditory Research on Deafness (vol. 47).
The lab received funding from German Research Society (DFG), Common Scientific Conference Germany, NIH, NSF and DLR, EU, State of Hamburg and State of Lower Saxony and cochlear implant industry.
Lab website: http://www.neuroprostheses.com
Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Thursday 13 September 2018 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au
